Too many pieces: Man caught carrying One Piece trading cards worth over $400,000 at Changi Airport

SINGAPORE – Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers on Nov 2 caught a man attempting to bring in trading cards worth about $400,000 into Singapore during a baggage screening at Changi Airport.

The man, who was arriving at Changi Airport’s Terminal 4, was directed to the baggage screening area and asked if he had anything to declare, ICA said in a Facebook post on Nov 6.

He declared that he was carrying two pieces of trading cards, but officers who screened his luggage noticed anomalies in one of the bags, the authority added.

After a thorough check, officers found 105 trading cards related to the manga and anime series One Piece worth about $400,000 in total, alongside a luxury branded bracelet.

Rare One Piece trading cards can sell for thousands of dollars, with a Korean serialised top prize card featuring protagonist Monkey D. Luffy fetching US$440,420 (S$563,535) at auction in May.

The case was referred to the Singapore Customs for further investigation, ICA said.

In its Facebook post, ICA also reminded travellers to declare and pay duty and GST on items purchased overseas that exceed the duty-free concession and GST relief.

Those who are not sure if they need to declare their items should declare at the Red Channel or at the Singapore Customs Tax Payment Office, ICA said.

According to the Singapore Customs website, travellers who have been overseas for 48 hours or more are entitled to GST relief on up to $500 for goods bought overseas, excluding liquor and tobacco. For trips under 48 hours, the value is capped at $100.